Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

The National Papers (Continued from page 7) Honda the last three Cycle Week runs in a row. Honda comes in the favorite in this class with Spencer and the most recent winner - last fall - Fred Merkel. The Fred and Fred act will be a tough one to follow(?). Wes Cooley switches over in this event and will ride a Yoshimura Suzuki. He's a two-time winner of theevenl. Crosby, a one-time winner, is also an official entry in the Superbike division and like Cooley, will race a Suzuki. Yvon Duhamel, who has not ridden in America for years, is also entered in the Friday 100-miler, aboard a privateer Honda. . With Spencer, Merkel, Crosby and Cooley all back in the fold, the Daytona Superbike race boasts of more past winners than ever before. A head to head meeting between Honda and Suzuki is guaranteed. The Formula Two event, again slated for Saturday morning before the Supercross event, became a good one just prior to the closing of the entries. The 1983 winner, Tony Neto from Brazil, is back and even bringing his brother Jose along as an entry. In fact, thewhole Brazilian team, including five riders in addition to the Neto brothers, are entered. What will make it interesting is the runner-up two years ago, Marty Wimmer from West Germany has filed an entry after missing last year and the new spice comes from the last-second addition of America's own Wayne Rainey, who will ride the event for the first time as a first-time member . of the Yamaha factory group. Rainey has all that experience on the Kawasaki Superbikes and few remember that his first ride in a Pro race was indeed on a 250. He came up a winner, taking it all at Loudon. Bernie Summers is coming all the way from Australia to ride the 100miler, often billed as the closest and best race of the annual Cycle Week. A guy would not travel 12,000 miles one way to race if he could not go fast, would he? . The factory motocross teams will all be at Daytona for the Saturday afternoon Supercross. Last year's winner, Bob Hannah, hurting of late, feels he will be ready to try for two-ina-row. The two hottest on the MX circuit at this time, Jeff Ward and Johnny O'Mara, will both be 'there, looking for their first Daytona victories. Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha all field factory teams for this one. Back to the 200 miler. It's: The first meeting between Spencer and Roberts since Freddie won the title in Europe last Septem ber. •.The first time back for Crosby since he won it all in 1982.. .Three past and present World Champions: Spencer, Roberts and Lucchinelli, plus GP veterans, Lawson, Crosby and Haslam...All the American National winners from last year, Mike and Miles Baldwin, Smrz and Cooley (and perhaps Mamola). Yamaha looks to make it "Lucky 13" in a row. Honda will try hard to win it and add to their lone victory way back in 1970, while Suzuki still guns for the first one. And in the Superbike race, let's not overlook that the race hosts seven of the last eight winners! This is the kind of stuff that makes one want to leave sunny California, the wet and chilly northwest, the wet and dry south and the damn cold midwest and east and head for Daytona March 5-11. My bags are packed. Roxy Rockwood Uve it to the limit at the Wrangler Supercross Series! r----- Come on out and cheer for your favorite riders as they race through's Wrangi;"- - their high speed, muscle-jarring / upercross Series events. The Wrangler brand is ,Location Date proud to be the 1984 sponsor of the, ~n~eim, CA 1/28 INSPORT-sanctioned Supercross 'A~/:n::' ~~ 2/11-12 2/25 Series. Get the thrill of watching' Housto~, TX 3/24-25 those daring riders compete for '~~~~s, TX 4/14 points in the $125,000 Wrangler / kans~~~t:: Mo 4/28-29 5/5 Supercross Point Fund. Live it ,Orlando, FL 5/19 to the limit in Wrangler jeans., ~It On and off the track, they'll , fotheillmit" suit your lifestyle. l wra~,n ----- -- --~ Live it to the limit inWraftlllD.r - --- ~7~ ce 198-4, Blue Bell, Inc. 13

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